Member Avatar for recoba

Greetings

I am proficient in VBA and have made a multitude of tools that are used by colleagues at my workplsce. The complex form applications I have made using Excel/Word/Outlook etc have been very well received.

I feel I could offer these tools to other companies on a freelance basis. I also built websites, and am proficient in Flash/Photoshop.

I apologise if this seems slightly naive - but how would I start? I live in the UK.
Would I need to just book a few ads in the local papers and wait for the phone to ring?
Would I need to speak with my bank manager with a business plan?

Any advice, anything at all that you can provide, I would be very grateful.

Cheers, looking forward to hearing your suggestions

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by jayreis

Dani AI

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Good thread so far — useful tips from , and . A few practical points that build on those ideas and address gaps people often miss when turning in-house automation into a business.

Decide early whether you want to do bespoke consultancy or productize one or two tools. Product work scales but needs licensing, versioning and support. Consultancy sells your time and domain knowledge and is faster to start. Before any outreach, check your employment contract for moonlighting and IP clauses. If the tools were developed at work or with company data, get clarity in writing from your employer.

Cover the basics so clients take you seriously: choose a legal structure (sole trader vs limited company), register with HMRC, keep a separate bank account, and set up simple bookkeeping. Talk to an accountant about tax, VAT thresholds and whether professional indemnity insurance is appropriate.

To win and price work, lead with measured outcomes, not technology. For each example you show, state the before/after benefit (hours saved, error reduction, money saved). Offer a short fixed-fee proof-of-concept to prove value, then move to value-based or milestone pricing. Partnering with local IT resellers or managed-service firms can create steady referrals.

A compact contract and delivery workflow prevents arguments. Include scope, deliverables, acceptance tests, milestones and payment terms, IP/licence wording, confidentiality, and a simple support/maintenance option. Quick startup checklist: 1) check employer/IP, 2) register with HMRC, 3) create one anonymized case study with numbers, 4) draft a one-page contract and invoice template, 5) set up bookkeeping and speak with an accountant.

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Member Avatar for Ancient Dragon

I'd start by googling for "freelance programming"

Member Avatar for LEwen

Connect with businesses that sell/support hardware. Frequently they are asked to supply programming assistance and they would then recommend you.

Member Avatar for jayreis

From your post it is not clear if its a specific software system you programmed you want to sell or that you want to be a freelance programmer (or both).

Either way you need should setup a website with your contact information and also include a bit about yourself what languages you know (front end, back end) also display a portfolio of scripts you have made even if they where personal scripts you created for fun/hobby its just to show your skills.

Then make some business cards and flyers and get out and start networking with potential clients.

There is no magic or secret to how to start a business it really all just starts with you getting out and telling the world you are available to be hired and also why someone would want to hire you as a programmer.

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